


Bonds

by munarei



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: M/M, based off of a vocaloid song, origin/kronos from xillia 2 make an appearence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 12:46:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7574536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/munarei/pseuds/munarei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In times of strife and peace, we will share our joy and our pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. - Richard Bach

_“To those foolish sheep who dare raise their hand against the creator of the world, I, Kronos, seal away the seven elements of the world and condemn the world to ruin. To restore the lifeblood of the world, send the Chosen to climb the Tower of Salvation and claim the seven elements to light the flame after reclaiming the seven blessings once more, thereby giving the world an era of peace.”_

Mikleo closed the old book with a ‘thwap’ as he stared at Sorey who stood in front of him, holding a royal proclamation, saying that he was to be the next Chosen and that he had to go to the Tower of Salvation and reclaim the blessings of the world. “Kronos is kind of a jerk,” he said as Sorey laughed sheepishly, shrugging slightly.

“Well, humanity did make him mad. But I agree, even as a god…you shouldn’t condemn the entire world to ruin.” He sighed and unfurled the paper in his hands, staring at it for a moment.

 

_To Sorey:_

_This hereby is a royal edict. You, as the world’s Chosen, must climb the tower of Salvation and reclaim the seven blessings of the world._

 

“It even has a royal seal and everything,” he said as he held it up to Mikleo who scoffed and brushed it aside.

“Everyone knows they’re just desperate now, fifteen years later since that incident. No one’s been successful once with how many ‘Chosen’, no, people the royal family pick out to go.” He stared at Sorey before realizing the other’s hands were slightly shaking. After all, even with their love of history and exploration, they and everyone in their small family knew that once people were ‘chosen’ to go to the tower, they never returned.

He carefully placed a hand on Sorey’s own and squeezed it gently. “Hey,” he said with a small smile, “Don’t be scared. You aren’t going alone.”

Sorey instinctively returned the squeeze to his hand before eyes widening in surprise. “Huh?” His eyes widened slightly with surprise as he frowned, “But the letter said-“

Mikleo rolled his eyes and took the paper, tossing it away. “The letter said that you HAD to go sure, but what’s stopping me and the rest of us from going with you?” He smiled then kept a grip on the other’s hand. “Don’t worry, you aren’t going to be alone. We’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“After all~” Lailah’s voice appeared from behind them as she and the others in their small family appeared, surrounding Sorey with their smiles and their promises, “Remember what we promised all those years ago? In times of strife and of peace, that we’d share both joy and pain, together.”

“Lailah…everyone…!”

Relief washed over him as he looked at everyone in their small makeshift family wanted to support him…

Sorey allowed himself to smile and the eight of them, Mikleo, Lailah, Rose, Alisha, Edna, Zaveid and Dezel all followed Sorey through their journey to the Tower of Salvation and to the first blessing.

Sorey wondered just how the royal family knew who to pick to be the Chosen but as he held his hand over the ancient stone doors, it glowed green then began to open.

Perhaps there was some truth to him being chosen? In that case…he smiled to himself. If he could protect the world that he lived in, no, that his friends lived in…then accepting a blessing such as this wouldn’t be a burden, but a gift.

As the stone doors slowly unlocked the first seal and the bright green blessing glistened in front of them on a pedestal, Sorey took a deep breath.

Steeling himself, he smiled at his friends before walking forward slowly.

This was it. This was the first step to saving the world that his friends and family lived in. His fingertips hesitated in front of the Wind Blessing when a heavy hand clapped on his shoulder and roughly pulled him backwards. He recognized that tanned back anywhere as his friend Zaveid, with his normally cocky grin gave him a cruel smile.

This was the first step to saving the world that his friends and family lived in. His fingertips hesitated in front of the Wind Blessing when a heavy hand clapped on his shoulder and roughly pulled him backwards. He recognized that tanned back anywhere as his friend Zaveid, with his normally cocky grin gave him a cruel smile.

“Well, well, looks like the first one here win this blessing,” he said before shoving Sorey out of the room, the door slamming as he did so.

The loud bang echoed in the cold unrelenting chamber as Sorey’s mind reeled around this sudden betrayal.

Zaveid? Sorey couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it. But the sign was right in front of him, the seal appearing in front of the door once more.

He stood up slowly as he looked towards his friends, searching for some sort of explanation but found none. His friends stared back at him with a stone cold gaze as Edna spoke up. “Well? We’re going to the earth one next aren’t we?”

 He shakily nodded his head as he climbed the tower once more.

As he opened the next door however, Edna neatly stabbed Sorey in the side with her umbrella, forcing him backwards before claiming the earth blessing for herself, looking at Sorey with an apathetic gaze in her eyes. “Like Zaveid said,” she said as Sorey clutched at his side, asking her why as the door closed, “whoever gets there first. It’s not fair that you’d get all of the blessings after all…”

Sorey gasped through his shock and the door shut once more, sealing another of his friends inside.

Why? Why? Weren’t they his friends? Why were they trying to claim the blessings themselves?

It happened again and again, each of his friends claiming one blessing after another until all who were left were Lailah and Mikleo as Sorey, with a heavy heart, approached the fire blessing. He looked towards his friends left before slowly walking up to the blessing to FINALLY claim one when Lailah approached him and shook her head slowly.

Her eyes filled with tears before she gave Sorey a bitter smile. “In strife and in peace, we share both joy and pain,” she said softly before claiming the blessing quickly, holding her hand over it.

All Sorey saw as he was forced out of the room was Lailah’s back, her shoulders shaking before the doors slammed shut once more.

Mikleo walked over to his friend, looking at Sorey who looked on the verge of breaking before getting down on his knees and wrapping his arms around Sorey. “Shh,” he said softly then continued to pet his hair as Sorey looked at Mikleo, unable to say the words but trying to find reason to why their friends would do something like this.

“Mikleo…” his lip trembled before reaching up to clutch at his sleeve tightly, “Why…? I thought…I thought…don’t they want the world to be better? If this is what humans did before...maybe…Kronos was right…”

Mikleo looked heartbroken at his words, knowing his friend had a huge heart and a trusting soul. So many betrayals in one day must have hurt him deeply to shake that belief of his to his core.

“…I can’t explain it,” he said softly, “As I don’t know why either. Come on. We have one more to go to right? At least maybe with that one…” He fell silent as Sorey clung onto him, tears escaping his eyes as he tried his best to compose himself. Pulling himself together, he nodded his head then looked up at Mikleo with a tired smile.

“I’m…glad you’re here Mikleo.”

He got up to his feet as Mikleo had loosened his grip to allow him to get up before looking at Mikleo, holding out his hand to him. “Let’s go.”

Mikleo wordlessly took his hand and followed him towards the very top of the tower. Perhaps with one blessing he could still give the world a chance to thrive…

As he arrived at the ice blessing, Sorey looked to Mikleo and gave him a bright smile before walking towards the blessing. Suddenly a crack of pain raced up his back as he fell forward, looking stunned as he saw Mikleo’s feet arrive in front of the blessing.

No. No not Mikleo. Not the person he loved…!

His back hurt as he got up, trying to hobble towards Mikleo who was struggling to keep his composure, clutching at his staff, something that made Sorey even more desperate. What was he hiding? Why did everyone he believed and trusted in betray him like that?! “M-MIKLEO!”

The doors were closing, a cold breeze was already forcing Sorey back as he reached out desperately for that person he loved most in the world.

Mikleo refused to meet his gaze but at Sorey calling out his name again, he looked up, frozen tears in his violet eyes that always looked towards Sorey with a kind smile.

"Stand back Sorey," Mikleo said, his voice thick with emotion that Sorey, for the first time in their lives, couldn't understand before shoving him back as the doors started to slide shut.

"MIKLEO!" Sorey shouted and ran towards the door as Mikleo shook his head. "No, not you too! Why...?! Why are you doing this!"

The boy looked up at him again at those words, ice streaks down his cheeks as his next words pierced Sorey to his core. "...Because I want the blessing to myself, of course."

The doors slammed, leaving Sorey standing there alone as he stared at the door then pressed his hands against the door, slowly slumping to the ground. He slammed his fist weakly against the door as he pleaded softly. "...Please don't leave me alone..."

He didn’t know how long he had sat there alone.

Time passed endlessly for him, hours, maybe even days. Sorey almost wanted to leave the temple behind and go back, but there was nowhere ‘back’ to go to. All there was left was the altar and the attempts to start the ritual.

Eventually, he mechanically rose, slowly pulling himself up to his feet, his eyes void of emotion and his feet heavy.

Zaveid, Edna…Rose, Dezel, Alisha, Lailah… _Mikleo_. Everyone he knew and loved had betrayed him to try and grab a blessing for themselves…and now he couldn’t even go through with the blessing of the world ritual because his friends had robbed the blessings that would alight the torch that would be used to bless the world and grant it paradise.

That feeling made him feel ice cold, remembering the memories of Mikleo reaching out to Sorey after his mother had died from an illness and introducing them to a small band of people.

They had laughed and ate together, survived in that dying world together…had chosen to come with him on this journey…

Was the power offered by the blessings too much for even their bonds to resist in the end? 

Climbing the stairs to the top of the tower, Sorey hesitated before looking next to the open door.

There, in front of him, was a golden torch, with no flame, of course, something that he knew he would have otherwise used to light the altar at the top of the tower. He pressed his lips together, then picking up the flameless torch, he walked through to the top of the tower only to be greeted with a grim sight.

Seven statues of skeletons, each holding one candle looped around in a circle. In the middle of that circle was the altar as he swallowed thickly.

Had the way to grant the world paradise been so…grim?

He lifted the flameless torch and stared at it for a moment. He couldn’t do anything here but…he didn’t want to just sit here and do nothing. Approaching the huge altar, he stared at it for a moment before sighing deeply and taking a step back, setting the smaller torch inside the larger version.

Almost at once, the seven candles lit up, an eerie red glow surrounding Sorey as he stumbled backwards. What-?! He didn’t have the seven blessings, why…?

“…This is certainly a first,” a young voice spoke up as he spun around to see a young child looking up at him, tilting his head, “A first time that I’ve seen the Chosen actually approach the altar in one piece…ah, but you must have had some loyal friends to see you this far.”

“W-What…what are you talking about?” Sorey asked as he looked at the red glow growing stronger, “I don’t understand, why is this working? I don’t have any of the blessings…!”

The figure stood there silent before chuckling a little mirthlessly. “Ah…the blessings. Kronos certainly did try to throw off humanity and it seems to have worked.” They looked at him, head tilting upwards to seemingly meet the young man’s gaze before speaking again. “I’m sorry. Those are not blessings…rather they are atonements.”

Sorey inhaled sharply again, taking a step back. “…W-What are you talking about? Who…who are you? Are you Origin? Why…?”

“I am Origin yes. The supposed god that the humans betrayed. My friend Kronos would not stand for this and wanted to see the humans beg for forgiveness while experiencing death over and over again.” Origin frowned before walking up to the altar and held out their hand, the red glow culminating in a giant orange flame.

“I’m here because…in the end, I allowed this to happen and now, the world is embroiled in a ritual that will otherwise damn the world,” they said while looking at the young man, “Those aren’t blessings, they were designed for you, the Chosen, to go through and after each atonement, walk up to the altar and beg for forgiveness…the flesh tearing winds, the crushing earth, the darkness that would tear up your sanity, the heat of the desert that would rend your body to dust, the god’s strike through lightning-“

Sorey shook his head slowly at first but as Origin gave a brief description of each trial his friends had willingly stepped into (for him) and died in (for him), he felt the tears fall from his eyes faster and faster, remembering Zaveid’s mirthful smile, Edna’s eyes lighting up softly, Dezel’s shark like grin and Rose and Alisha showing him their own kindness before turning to take the atonements upon themselves.

Lailah’s words echoed in his mind, that they, as a family and as dear friends, would share both pain and joy together.

He was a _fool._

“The hellfire flames and the frozen snows…each of these were for you to go through and if you managed to survive, you would then have lit these candles and in turn the altar.” Origin shook their head. “No one has ever survived one, much less seven, but…it seems there has been a sacrifice already. Your friends understood the hidden intentions behind the blessing…and chose to be the sacrifice for you.”

Lailah and Mikleo's tears...

Soundlessly, he fell to the ground, his knees scrapping against the hard stone. Sorey wrapped his arms around his middle, curling up on the top of the tower as he felt more and more tears dot the floor beneath him.

They hadn’t betrayed him.

They saved him. Each and every one of them. And he had doubted them the entire time, even Mikleo.

To know that he had doubted them hurt the most, though he understood why they went that far. He would have willingly taken on the burden after all, of all seven atonements, if it meant that the world his friends lived in would survive a little longer.

It hurt. It hurt so badly. He wanted to see them again, to apologize to them for ever doubting them but…he couldn’t. They were dead because of a supposed ‘god and his anger for his friend.

“…Once you raise your arms to the flame, this world will live…for a little longer,” Origin’s smile faded slightly, looking at Sorey.

Sorey shook his head again, “They’re dead,” he said softly, brokenly, “I thought they betrayed our friendship but they…saved me.”

Origin took a breath before looking at the seven candles alit.  “…As an apology for your pain, I promise…you’ll be able to see them again as long as you stay here in the tower until the next Chosen comes. That much I promise you and every single Chosen after you along with the souls of those who sacrificed themselves for you to come here.”

Sorey only sobbed brokenly, unable to answer Origin who walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Wordlessly, the ‘god’ of the world disappeared, leaving Sorey alone, the flame in the altar blazing with each pulse of red light.

As the red light turned into purple, Sorey lifted his gaze towards the bright orange blaze, made up of his family’s lives and whispered the words that his family had always said to him.

“In times of strife and peace, we will share our joy and our pain,” he whispered before lifting his arms towards the blaze, on the promise that he would one day see them again once another went through what he did.

He knew it was selfish but in the end, he saved the world like he had set out to do.

As he stood up slowly, the purple light bursting outwards to preserve the world for another 15 years, he closed his eyes slowly then opened them again, looking at his clothes. Alisha’s present to him, a replica of the Shepherd of legend’s cloak, once white, was now a pitch black as he stared at the brightly lit candles.

“…”

One day, as long as Origin kept their word, he would see them again.

Maybe then, he could finally apologize.

\---

Step.

 

Step.

 

Step.

A mere shadow of who he was, Sorey turned slightly, green gaze dulled and his now black cloak clinging to him. He saw a young girl with pink hair, rubbing at her eyes filled with tears, much like how he looked the first time he had climbed those stairs. Looking at the candles now alit with the sacrifices of others, he had no doubt that this girl, with the sting of betrayal in her eyes, had been kept from the truth much like he had been, that her companions had ‘stolen’ the blessings like his friends had for him.

A small painful smile lit up in his eyes as he took a step forward towards her.

The tower of Salvation, no. He needed a different name.

“…Welcome, to the top of the Tower of Blessings.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes that was Estelle climbing the tower. :'D If you would like to see an epilogue, please let me know either in the comments below or at my [tumblr](https://sevicchi.tumblr.com/)~
> 
> [ This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiEC329xPos) is the Vocaloid song I based this fic off of! It's such a nice song, please give it a listen!


End file.
